Thomas takes blame for SDSU loss at BYU

San Diego State's Malcolm Thomas has his arm yanked by Air Force's Derek Brooks while taking a shot during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in San Diego, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011. Brooks was called for a foul. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
— AP

San Diego State's Malcolm Thomas has his arm yanked by Air Force's Derek Brooks while taking a shot during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in San Diego, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011. Brooks was called for a foul. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
/ AP

The BYU students were still celebrating on the court, the chants of “Jimmer, Jimmer, Jimmer” still echoing through the Marriott Center, when San Diego State senior forward Malcolm Thomas broke the dejected silence of the visitors' locker room.

No. 4 Aztecs vs. Wyoming

When: 7 p.m. Saturday at Viejas Arena

On the air: The Mtn; 600-AM

“It’s my fault,” Thomas told his teammates then.

“They told me it wasn’t,” Thomas said Friday, recounting the postgame conversation. “But I honestly felt like it was. I could have done more.”

As recently as three weeks ago, the 6-foot-9 Thomas was playing the finest basketball of his collegiate career, dominating teams inside, dunking, rebounding, blocking shots, changing shots, getting opposing posts into foul trouble. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Mountain West Conference opener at TCU, 17 and 14 at Utah, 14 and 16 against UNLV. He was named MWC Player of the Week for the third time this season. He ran his streak of double-figure scoring games to nine. He raised his season shooting percentage to .579.

And since:

Averages of 8.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in the past three games, while shooting 36 percent (9-of-25) and twice committing four fouls.

The BYU game, with all its conference and national implications, was the final straw for Thomas, and he vowed afterward — “It won’t happen again,” is how he put it — to return to his previous form beginning Saturday night when the No. 4 Aztecs (20-1, 5-1) host Wyoming at Viejas Arena.

It also helps that the Cowboys (8-12, 1-5) have been a mess lately, losing four straight by a combined 65 points and playing with little depth inside. Afam Muojeke, a 6-foot-8 junior, had knee surgery this week and is out for the season; 6-10 center Adam Waddell is not yet 100 percent after Achilles’ tendinitis.

But Thomas’ problems admittedly are as much between the ears as between the sidelines.

“When my shots aren’t falling or other things aren’t going my way, I tend to hang my head a little bit,” Thomas said. “It’s just frustration. But it can’t happen any more, because I know how it affects me and how it affects my teammates.”

Two things have changed: One is that, after Thomas torched teams early in the conference season, opponents are committed to clogging the paint with sagging zones or automatic double teams whenever he touches the ball in the post. The other is the MWC referees appear to be allowing more interior contact, and Thomas has been visibly rattled when there’s no whistle after getting hammered on a missed shot.

“They’re playing him like a pro,” point guard D.J. Gay said. “Every time he’s getting double-teamed no matter what. That’s because no one can play him one-on-one. It’s something he has to get used to, and it’s changed his comfort zone. He has to learn how to deal with that.”

The mea culpa in Provo?

“Of course it wasn’t his fault,” Gay said. “Sure, he could have done some things better, but we all could have. It just shows what kind of player he is, what kind of heart he has, that he’s willing to put this team on his back and carry it.”

Added Aztecs coach Steve Fisher: “That’s why I love Malcolm so much, because he’s not afraid to bare his soul to anybody. He’ll sometimes to a fault want to accept responsibility. That’s why he has a chance to really be good, because he’s willing to reveal his blemishes and work on them and get better.

“But it’s a double-edged sword. I also told him: ‘Malcolm, you’re too good not to be on your game.’ ”

JONES STAYING PUT FOR NOW

SDSU is still in contention for heralded USC transfer Bryce Jones, just probably not for this semester.

According to a source familiar with the situation, Jones plans to finish the semester at USC but not play for the Trojans while deciding on a new destination. Had he enrolled at a new school for the spring semester (which began last week at SDSU), the 6-5 freshman would have been eligible again in mid-December. Otherwise, he must wait until the 2012-13 season.

Jones was a four-star recruit out of Los Angeles Taft High who was rated a Top 50 prospect by several national recruiting services. He started 10 games for the Trojans before leaving the team.

NOTES

The color analyst on tonight’s telecast on The Mtn: former USD head coach Brad Holland, who left as a UC Santa Barbara assistant last spring to become chief professional officer of the Carlsbad Boys and Girls Club … SDSU is asking fans to wear black today, and the first 2,500 people through the door will receive "Aztec Black out" T-shirts ... Coaches will wear sneakers and some Aztecs players will wear pink Nikes as part of the national Coaches vs. Cancer campaign … Wyoming leads the all-time series 37-30, but SDSU has won four of the last six … Sophomore Desmar Jackson leads Wyoming at 15.2 points per game, and junior point guard JayDee Luster (Hoover High) is averaging 6.8 points and 3.6 assists … Freshman guard Joe Hudson (Escondido High) has played in 12 games and is averaging 2.2 points in 8.8 minutes … The Cowboys have four foreign players on their roster: two from France, and one each from Senegal and Mexico.